Welcome to Destination National Bank Open powered by STM. Every week, we will keep you updated on all the action on the ATP Tour as we build towards the National Bank Open in Montreal, which takes place from Aug. 3 to 12.
Days until the National Bank Open: 25
Stories to Watch
The top half of the men’s draw at Wimbledon, who will play on Tuesday, showcase some of the most interesting rivalries on the ATP Tour.
Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul will meet for the fifth time in the quarter-finals and there has been no shortage of drama in their clashes. They’ve split their previous four meetings, with three going the distance and two of them featuring multiple tiebreaks.
It will be their first match on a surface other than hard court. Interestingly, both of Paul’s victories came in Canada at the last two National Bank Opens.
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The other quarter-final is a renewal of one of the biggest rivalries over the last couple of seasons. Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev will meet for the 12th time, with the last seven matchups coming in the last 18 months. It will be their sixth clash since last year’s US Open.
That rivalry has been all about the streaks. Medvedev won the first six matches in a row, and now at Wimbledon Sinner has a chance to return the favour having won the last five. Like Paul-Alcaraz, it will be their first meeting off of hard courts.
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If the higher-ranked player wins both quarter-finals, it will be Sinner-Alcaraz X and a repeat of their recent Roland-Garros semifinal, which the Spaniard won in five sets. They met at Wimbledon in 2022, with Sinner winning in four sets.
Medvedev and Alcaraz also have a history at Wimbledon. They have clashed at the All England Club in two of the last three years, each winning once.
While Sinner and Paul do not have much history, it is still a matchup to keep an eye on as the American won their lone previous match on grass in Eastbourne back in 2022.
On-Court Action
Through four rounds, the men’s competition at Wimbledon has been relatively straightforward. Every quarter-finalist is seeded, the Top Five players and six of the Top 10 are all in the final eight.
But that’s not to say there have not been surprises.
Perhaps the biggest shock of the tournament was the run of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who lost in qualifying but got into the draw as a lucky loser.
The 6’8 Frenchman took full advantage of his second chance, upsetting No. 20 seed Sebastian Korda in a thrilling five-setter to open the tournament and followed it up with wins over Yoshihito Nishioka and Emil Ruusuvuori before falling in the fourth round to Lorenzo Musetti in four sets.
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Coming into Wimbledon, Mpetshi Perricard had never won a match at a Grand Slam event. But his massive serve was perfectly suited to the lawns of the All England Club. Through his four matches, he fired 115 aces, 35 more than any other player in the men’s draw and more than double any other player who reached the last sixteen. He had 51 in the win over Korda alone.
The ATP's best return to Montreal this summer for the National Bank Open August 3 to 12, 2024 at IGA Stadium. 2024 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!
Feature Photo: Martin Sidorjak
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